Today all the world is Irish - celebrating Saint Patrick's Day - the myths - the truths - surrounding this holiday. A day filled with Holy services - public gatherings - green beer - food and festivities - leprechauns. There is nothing better than people gathering together - celebrating wonders of life. Irish dancers - corned beef and cabbage - shamrocks - celebrating Ireland's most famous saint - celebrating joy - happiness - in the midst of Lent. I am only part Irish - but enough that this is one ethnic holiday that I happily claim. Anything that brings people together in the name of celebration is worthy of my - your - participation.
Saint Patrick's Day does not always fall on a Friday during Lent - a quandary for Catholics who normally abstain from meat on Fridays. This year very unusual that both Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine's Day - Saint Patrick's Day - a Friday - two special days of the year when most people celebrate with fine dining - very often meat dishes. Bishops do have the authority to dispense their faithful from the obligation of abstaining from meat on these days - some do - some don't. Truth be told - one does not have to eat meat - to celebrate well. Celebrations take many different forms across the world - all celebrations worth noting - for God so loved the world that He sent His Son - to remind us how much He loves us - how much He cares for us. With that thought in mind - nothing can diminish our joy on this or any other day in our life.
Deacon Dale
I often ask myself what happened to the idea many years ago when the United States was going to give up their measurement system and go metric and fall in line with the majority of the world. Using a number system based on 10s seemed very practical. I did not think about that until 2012 when my wife and I decided to walk the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. Being based in Spain - a country where they use the metric system caused me never ending concerns when trying to figure out how far to walk - where our final destination would be for the day - the distance between two points. I am so use to estimating a half mile or one mile - but try to do the same in kilometers or meters and I become very frustrated. Even now when I bike I try to follow the metric system - with real difficulty. I do know that 10 miles is equal to 16 kilometers - but to envision a goal one kilometer away - my eyes just can't do it. Had we converted to the metric system back when I was in junior high school - it would obviously be second nature by now.
Many conversions are very difficult for most Americans. Converting miles - pounds - temperature - the three most common. The easiest conversion I know - is that of Faith. Coming to believe in God - His Son - Jesus - the Holy Spirit - a much easier task. There are no numbers involved - no equation to memorize. When one meets Jesus - his heart is touched by the hand of God - it becomes a new creation - soft - loving - accepting. When a person experiences the Love of God - the Forgiveness - things happen - often quickly. In seconds - hearts - minds are converted. This Lent - God calls you to a conversion - to become a new person - to start freshly - to re imagine your life. He waits patiently for you no numbers needed.
Deacon Dale
Recently we viewed the television series The Crown on Netflix. The series is about Queen Elizabeth II and her early years as Queen of England. It is interesting that watching this series one learns that being a member of the Royal Family is not exactly what many members want. It fairly accurately reveals the struggles that family members face - the loss of privacy - rules - protocols forced upon them - all in the name of protecting - The Crown. It is easy to see that what is important is not the person who wears The Crown - rather the entire concept of what The Crown represents. The Crown is much more than an ornamental piece of metal worn upon the head - it is the symbol upon which England proclaims - maintains - its status among other countries. The Crown is - authority - power - strength - wisdom - always keeping the Royal Family as a proper role model for the peoples.
When Jesus went through His trials - temptations - final judgement - hung on a cross - He was given a Crown - of Thorns. This Crown - not regal in any manner - placed upon His head - mockery of His lack of power - authority - an embarrassment to His followers. He accepted this Crown - for you - me - the world. He took upon Himself our sins - our faults - our short comings - that you and I would not have to. Many would love to be a member of the Royal Family - to wear a Crown. In this Lent - ask yourself which Royal Family you would belong to - the Royals of England - The Royal Family of God - which crown you would wear and why?
Deacon Dale
When people travel - their focus primarily on their final destination - time of arrival - who or what is there. Plans are made to accommodate - meetings - family - events. Looking forward to whatever it is that draws them to their destination - what they wish to accomplish - who they want to meet - things they wish to do. Side trips during free time - viewing - visiting local attractions - dining at special places - experiencing local cuisine - speaking with people from that area - to gain additional insights of the region. Many miss the real experience - focusing only on the departure and arrival - missing everything in the middle. The saying - getting there - half the fun. Every trip has a beginning and end - but what happens between those to points? When flying - usually restricted to the flight and time on the airplane - on connecting flights - where is the connection - is there time to investigate that location - experience more? When driving - walking - lots of opportunities to stop - take a break - visit attractions along the way - fill your travel experience with so much more. Walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain - 500 miles from start to finish - never a straight line - thousands of opportunities to stray from the path - making the journey even more than just a long hike.
Life is a journey - all start in the cradle - end in a grave - the journey itself so different for everyone. As we journey through Lent our focus - on our life - where we have been - where we are going - focusing on Jesus - His birth - life - death - resurrection - what it meant to Him - what it means to us. This Lent - walk on pilgrim - enjoy the journey.
Deacon Dale
Whenever I have to take a flight somewhere - one of most important things is the flight time - time of departure - time of arrival - length of flight. If it is not a non-stop flight - then the connecting time between flights - also important. To me and many others time is very important. I do not want to wake up at 4:30 AM in the morning to be able to board a flight that leaves at 6:30 AM - nor do I want to arrive at my destination in the middle of rush hour - too late to find a hotel - having to drive an hour or more at mid-night. When flying with a connecting flight - time between flights has to be a minimum of one hour. First flight risk of being late and leaving a small amount of time to exit one gate and get to the second gate - in a crowded airport - the two gates at opposite ends of the terminal. As is said often - timing is everything.
God is eternal - outside of time. With God one day is as a thousand and one thousand as one day (2 Peter 3:8 and again Psalm 90:4). God is not bound by the limits of time since He is the one who created time - the author of the system which we use to mark days - weeks - months. He calls each of us and waits - no time limit - giving us all the time we need to move closer to Him. In Lent we take 40 days - 30 days - 10 days - maybe less - to reflect on our lives - our relationship to Him - with His Son - Jesus. Take all the time you need - He can afford it - but - can you?
Deacon Dale
We were introduced to the game of Dominoes a few years ago and one thing we have learned - one game where the rules seem to evolve as you play. With one group of friends - their rules - with another group - different rules. Recently we gathered with four family members and as we advanced through each round - the rules kept becoming more and more complex. In an effort to explain one rule - we developed a new additional - revised rule. During the course of thirteen rounds - rules modified at least six times. To say that it became very interesting - an understatement.
When God created the World - when He revealed Himself to His people - simple rules -
I will be your God - you my people - do as I say. Jesus clarified those rules - after they had become more complex with so many do's and don't do's - Love the Lord your God with all your heart - mind - soul - and your neighbor as yourself. What should be so easy - simple - we have made complicated. This Lent uncomplicate your life - get back to the basics - do as God - Jesus - said. Your Lent will be much more meaningful.
Deacon Dale
Today is Laetare Sunday - the Sunday when clergy wear pink/rose colored vestments at Holy Mass. We are now at the halfway point in Lent - half way done - half way to the finish line - a joyful marker in the season of Lent - half way to fulfilling our Lenten exercises. Many at this point - still waiting to begin their Lenten preparation. No matter what one thinks - always better to have a glass half full than one that is completely empty. Even at this point in time - still plenty of time to have a meaningful Lent. One only has to start - quit with the excuses - just start now.
The Church provides this Season in the liturgical year to pause - reflect - examine - our lives - where we have been - where we currently are - where we are heading. Jesus - always ready - when you are - waiting patiently for you to start - not to chastise - belittle - offer a hand up - to help you get moving. Simple prayer - Jesus I trust in you - if He can heal the man born blind - he surely can heal the blindness of your heart - today..
Deacon Dale
We have all been fooled by optical illusions - images that look one way until you blink - then reverse - different image appears. Most common those in print format - in books - magazines - web pages - less common - those that appear in nature. Driving on a dark highway at night when the space under an overpass appears to be a truck trailer turned sideways - in the middle of a very hot day - when it looks like water on the road - heat waves instead. Sometimes people create their own optical illusion - acting like one person - hiding their real personality - the proverbial - sheep in wolf's clothing. Those who intend on deceiving - passing themselves off as honest persons.
When one comes to the Lord - God does not look at the face - external features - those are important facets of our lives - only one facet. Instead - God looks at our hearts - what is inside - the true person that we are. In Lent we are asked to look at the world around us - not with our normal eyes - rather the eyes of our heart - to look beyond the obvious - to see the possibilities that each of us are - to see in us what God sees.
Deacon Dale
To take a knee - now a days - does not honestly reflect what that phrase originally meant.
From the October 5, 2017 New York Daily News in an opinion piece by Kenneth McCallion - "Since when did the act of kneeling come to be viewed as an act of disrespect? Throughout history, the bending of the knee has always been an act of great respect and humility. People have been kneeling and genuflecting before kings, queens, and popes for centuries as a sign of homage and respect. Every avid follower of the TV series "Game of Thrones" knows that the "bending of the knee" is a symbolic gesture of fealty and allegiance. In the Christian tradition, kneeling has been closely intertwined with the act of prayer to the almighty. The book of Romans (14:11) teaches: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; … every knee will bend to me…." The iconic 1965 photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shows him praying on one knee with his head bowed while leading a group of kneeling civil rights workers in Selma, Alabama. Was this just a prayerful religious moment, or was it an act of civil disobedience just before they were carted off to the local jail? Either way, Dr. King's action was an expression of the constitutionally-protected rights of the religious freedom and freedom of speech. Isn't this kind of peaceful protest an essential part of what makes American democracy so exceptionally great? In the church where my family worships on Sundays, some parishioners prefer to stand during the core portions of the service, while others kneel or remain seated. Is one method of worship any better than another. Of course not. The sincerity of a person's devotion depends upon what is in one's head and the heart, not whether you are standing or on your knees".
In the above article Mr McCallion says exactly what I would write. In the Catholic Church - we are known for using kneelers - frequently during Holy Mass - not being disrespectful - rather kneeling at high points during Holy Mass - especially at the elevation of the host and chalice during consecration of the communion elements. Catholics take a knee every weekend when at Mass - routinely - especially during Lent as we kneel and pray to God for patience and understanding with us as we fumble our way through life.
God comes to us constantly - standing - kneeling - sitting - lying down - in any position in which we are comfortable. In Lent we walk through these days of penance and prayer on knees bent to the Lord.
Deacon Dale
Due diligence - defined by Merriam-Webster - in law - the care that a reasonable person exercises to avoid harm to other persons or their property - in business - the research and analysis of a company or organization done in preparation for a business transaction. In everyday life - due diligence - meaning that when one is about to undertake any project - they do their homework - in depth - so that the project is completed on time - on budget - as expected. When we celebrated Ash Wednesday - each of us was asked to do three things - fast - pray - give alms - in other words - cleanse ourselves of that which was unnecessary in our lives - to take time to discuss our plans with God - to offer gifts to others as a thank you to God for His many blessings. In order to do this we were expected - with the help of the Church - to accomplish these goals. Many took off running - some in retreat - fearing the burden of Lent - others ran forwards - jumping into every Lenten exercise offered - still others - held back - doing their own due diligence - making a serous thorough examination of conscience - self - to see what could be improved - then engaged themselves in the spiritual exercises they felt best would help them accomplish their personal goal.
Lent is not a legal matter - nor a business proposition. Lent is an annual opportunity for each of us to make time in an effort to grow - in holiness - no more - no less. God is pleased with any effort we make along this path. Jesus - standing by - to help when needed. Whatever we decided to do for Lent is perfectly fine with God - as long as we actually do it. It all starts with God and ends with Jesus on the Cross.
Deacon Dale
